The Pulse

Politicians are eyeing Greenland as an important strategic location, perfectly situated between Europe and North America. President Donald Trump has said he remains highly interested in acquiring or controlling Greenland as a national security and economic asset. But for a lot of researchers, Greenland is a beautiful and fragile place that holds important clues to the Earth’s past and future. So what are they learning about the large, icy island? 
On this episode, we’ll explore some of the research happening in Greenland. We’ll hear about archeologists digging up Viking graves to find out why a settlement disappeared sometime in the 15th century, and talk to an adventurous climate scientist who tracks and follows meltwater that’s flowing from Greenland’s ice sheet into the sea. Also, what are the riches buried under the ice that everybody is interested in? We’ll find out how mining for Greenland’s rare earth metals could affect this ecosystem.

The number of urgent care centers in the U.S. has doubled over the past decade, and it isn’t hard to see why — they fill a void in the market. Urgent care offers quick and convenient access to medical care when patients can’t get an appointment to see their primary care doctor, but their issue doesn’t seem to warrant an ER visit. But the rapid rise of urgent care has come with some growing pains — questions over the quality of care, and how they’re affecting doctor-patient relationships. On this encore episode, we explore the rise of urgent care. We hear about what draws providers to urgent care, and how they feel about the work; the role of private equity funding; and why some specialty care providers are borrowing from this model.

Comedian Aaron Weber talks about his popular bit on urgent care — and what kind of response he got from audience members who work in the industry.

Urgent care may occupy an important niche in the health care ecosystem, but let’s be honest — it isn’t the sexiest job. So what makes physicians and other providers decide to work in urgent care? Pulse reporter Liz Tung talked with some of them to find out.

We usually think of urgent care centers as handling minor issues like cuts, scrapes, and colds — but recently, some centers have been springing up that cater to specialized needs. Pulse producer Nichole Currie explores the emergence of urgent care centers for cancer patients.

Mayo Clinic neurologist Joseph Servin explains what urgent cares reveal about our fragmented health care system, and why it can be a bad thing when they become neurology patients’ first stop.

Have you ever looked in the toilet bowl and wondered, ‘Is that normal?’ Well, you’re not alone — and according to neurogastroenterologist Trisha Pasricha, it’s time to talk about poop. 
Pasricha says understanding what’s normal about your bowel movements isn’t just a silly or squeamish conversation, but one that can be lifesaving. Digestive issues affect millions of Americans, yet many of them are scared to discuss them, even with their doctors. Meanwhile, the rate of irritable bowel syndrome or IBS has doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the number of young people dying from colon cancer is rapidly increasing.
On this episode, we talk with Pasricha about her new book, “You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong: How to Make Your Bowel Movements a Joy.” She answers our embarrassing yet universal questions — from why no one poops normally on vacation to how childhood trauma can haunt your gut today. She also digs into what researchers are learning about the gut-brain relationship and how it shapes digestion.

We often think of perfectionism as a virtue; a kind of shorthand for high standards, a solid work ethic, and attention to detail.
But in reality, perfectionism can be a paralyzing force — like sand wedged in the gears of our minds. It slows us down, makes us question our choices, and traps us in an endless cycle of tweaking and re-tweaking, unable to move on to the next task. It can even have consequences for our health, as we push ourselves beyond our limits, in pursuit of impossible standards. And it’s on the rise, especially among teens and young adults.
On this episode, we explore what causes perfectionism, how we can escape its grip, and why letting go of unrealistic expectations doesn’t have to mean abandoning excellence. We hear from recovering perfectionists about what finally forced them to let go of their impossible  standards, and how their lives have changed since. We talk with a longtime perfectionism researcher about what’s at the root of perfectionism, and some of its more dire consequences. And we learn about a new movement that’s pushing high school kids to invest less in their academic achievements — and more in how they matter to others.

For most of her life, Gitanjali Trevorrow-Seymour was a perfectionist — and as an adult, her exacting standards seemed to have paid off, in the form of a successful career, beautiful home, and loving family. But a few years ago, she reached a turning point that prompted her to question her pursuit of perfection — and the toll it was taking on her life and health. We talk with Trevorrow-Seymour about what finally caused her to change, and what it’s like living on the other side of perfectionism.

It’s something we all hear as kids: “Practice makes perfect.” But for budding cellist Joshua Roman, it was more than just a saying — it was the only way to become the best. His relentless work ethic  paid off when, at the tender age of 22, Roman became the youngest lead cellist in the Seattle Symphony Orchestra’s history. But everything changed for Roman several years ago, when he contracted a debilitating case of long COVID, and found himself struggling to function. Pulse producer Nichole Currie talks with Roman about how his newfound limitations have changed his life and forced him to face his perfectionism.

Researcher Gordon Flett breaks down the dark side of perfectionism — from burnout to health effects — explaining where it comes from, why it’s on the rise in young people, and how to deal with it. Flett is a professor emeritus of psychology at York University in Toronto, and the author of several books on perfectionism.

For a lot of high school kids, college admissions are a major driver of stress — not to mention depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Pulse reporter Alan Yu talks with perfectionism researchers about the dangers of America’s “achievement culture,” along with journalist Jennifer Wallace about a potential solution — the Mattering Movement.

From Kevlar to windshield wipers, pulsars to dark matter and radioactivity, women are responsible for countless scientific discoveries and inventions that changed the world — and yet, many of them remain overlooked, forgotten, or ignored.
On this episode, we shine a light on some of these women and hear about the detective work required to unearth their lives and legacies; chasing clues, rifling through dusty boxes, and hitting plenty of dead ends. 
We rediscover the life and work of Katharine Burr Blodgett, a physicist and chemist whose seminal inventions are still in use today. We hear about what it was like being one of the few female engineers working at NASA in the 1970s, and we talk with quantum physicist Shohini Ghose about some of the brilliant women who helped us decode the mysteries of the universe.

SHOW NOTES:

Journalist Katie Hafner was on a mission — to uncover the details of physicist and chemist Katharine Burr Blodgett's work and life. But so much of Blodgett's correspondence and laboratory notes were missing — it felt like doing a puzzle with so many missing pieces. We listen to an excerpt from “Layers of Brilliance” a documentary podcast from Lost Women of Science about the life of Katharine Burr Blodgett. 

From the time she was a kid, Candy Vallado had a singular ambition: to work in aerospace. But when she graduated college in 1968, she quickly discovered that no one wanted to hire a “woman engineer.”  We talk with Vallado about what led her to joining her first NASA mission, some of the sexism she faced, and how she feels, looking back, about the progress of women in STEM.

We talk with quantum physicist Shohini Ghose about some of the brilliant, forgotten women who helped us decode the mysteries of the universe. Ghose’s book is “Her Space, Her Time: How Trailblazing Women Scientists Decoded the Hidden Universe."